Reflecting on an increase in global cyber security attacks, Duncan B. Hollis of Temple University Beasley School of Law has co-authored an article discussing the use of international law to fight against ransomware attacks.
We are witnessing the normalization of global cyber insecurity.
In the last few months, cybercriminals have used ransomware to disrupt the?largest U.S. oil pipeline for six days, strike a?global meat supplier?and disrupt?Ireland’s national health system.? Cyber operations targeting software by companies such as?Microsoft,?SolarWinds?and?Kaseya?have resulted in significant losses for US government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, schools, and mom-and-pop shops alike.? Meanwhile, foreign influence operations regularly pummel ?elections?and?vaccine?campaigns with disinformation.? Such threats cry out for responsible countries to act to regain control over the online ecosystem.?
Fortunately, there is a ready-made tool for them to do so — international law — if they are willing to use it.?
Hollis served as an Adviser for the Treaties portion of Restatement of the Law Fourth, The Foreign Relation Law of the United States. His scholarship focuses on international law, interpretation, and cyber security.